BUFFALO, N.Y. -- University at Buffalo researchers are making
significant progress on rust-proofing steel using a graphene-based
composite that could serve as a nontoxic alternative to coatings
that contain hexavalent chromium, a probable carcinogen.

In the scientists' first experiments, pieces of steel coated
with the high-tech varnish remained rust-free for only a few days
when immersed continuously in saltwater, an environment that
accelerates corrosion.

By adjusting the concentration and dispersion of graphene within
the composite, the researchers increased to about a month the
amount of time the treated steel can survive in brine. (Because
brine is an extremely harsh environment, the coated steel's
survival time in the real-world would be many times longer.)

The UB chemists leading the project are Sarbajit Banerjee, PhD,
an assistant professor, and Robert Dennis, a PhD student. Their
next step is to use a $50,000 grant from the New York State
Pollution Prevention Institute to enhance the graphene composite's
lasting power, as well as the quality of its finish.

Tata Steel, an international company that has provided past
funding for Banerjee's projects, has been helping the scientists
test larger sample sizes, Banerjee said.

Bringing the coating to the market could not only benefit public
health, but also save jobs, said Dennis and Banerjee.

"Our product can be made to work with the existing hardware of
many factories that specialize in chrome electroplating, including
job shops in Western New York that grew around Bethlehem Steel,"
Banerjee said. "This could give factories a chance to reinvent
themselves in a healthy way in a regulatory environment that is
growing increasingly harsh when it comes to chromium
pollution."

Graphene, the thinnest and strongest material known to man,
consists of a single layer of carbon atoms linked in a
honeycomb-like arrangement.

The material's hydrophobic and conductive properties may help
prevent corrosion, repelling water and stunting electro-chemical
reactions that transform iron into iron oxide, or rust, Banerjee
said.

UB's Office of Science, Technology Transfer and Economic
Outreach (STOR) has submitted a provisional patent application to
protect the coating Banerjee and Dennis are refining. As sponsors
of the research and due to inventive contribution by Tata
employees, Tata Steel also has certain rights to the
technology.

"Tata Steel has always displayed leadership in motivating
innovative research and product development by leveraging
partnerships with universities. UB has been one of our choices for
cutting-edge coatings technology development on steel substrate,"
said Debashish Bhattacharjee, PhD, Tata Steel's group director for
Research, Development and Technology.

"The development of an environmentally friendly alternative to
hexavalent chromium would truly revolutionize this sector," said
Anahita Williamson, PhD, director of the New York State Pollution
Prevention Institute (NYSP2I), a research and technology transfer
center funded by the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation. "The metals plating industry identified this as a
high-priority research project and NYSP2I is excited to support UB
researchers in their efforts to develop solutions."

The New York State Pollution Prevention Institute, headquartered
at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), is a partnership
between RIT, Clarkson University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,
UB and the state's network of Regional Technology Development
Centers.

Banerjee, a materials chemist, has worked closely with industry
and STOR to commercialize his research since joining UB in
2007.

In addition to his work on graphene, Banerjee has spoken to
companies in the building materials industry about his research on
vanadium oxide, a synthetic compound that could be used in "smart"
windows that reflect heat from the sun only on hot days.

"UB 2020, our university's long-range plan, asks faculty to take
an active role in translational research, and our rust-proofing
project is an example of research that benefits communities on both
a global and local scale," Banerjee said.

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